Games

Half-Life 2

Valve

2004•Shooter•PEGI 16•About 14 hours

Taste attributes: actionhorrorscience fictionanimalsbusinessmonster/alien/supernaturalrobots/ai/spacevehiclesfastfresh & originalunsavouryimaginarysimplelinearbig & variedemotionally undemandingall consuming questcomplex relationshipfighting evilfish out of water/culture clashhuman spirit/resilience/survivalrescue/escape/jeopardysocial commentarysolving the riddle/not as it seemsunderdog triumphsunlikely connections

See which match your taste

Boxlist takeA fantastical, unsavoury shooter: wide-ranging and unsentimental. Best if you like the extraordinary over the everyday.

Pace: fast · Originality: balanced · Tone: very dark · Weight: balanced · Realism: imaginary world · Story: simple · Structure: linear · Look: balanced · Scale: big and varied · Emotional punch: undemandingHow we score

IGDB rating

85 / 100

3,494 ratings

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Based on your film and TV taste: games are matched on the same ten characteristics, with your own match bands.

About This Game

1998. HALF-LIFE sends a shock through the game industry with its combination of pounding action and continuous, immersive storytelling. NOW. By taking the suspense, challenge and visceral charge of the original, and adding startling new realism and responsiveness, Half-Life 2 opens the door to a world where the player's presence affects everything around them, from the physical environment to the behaviors even the emotions of both friends and enemies.

Summary: IGDB

Story

Gordon Freeman is brought out of stasis by the G-Man, who inserts him into a train arriving at City 17. After arriving at the station and eluding Combine forces, Gordon joins Lambda resistance members including Barney Calhoun, a former Black Mesa security guard now working undercover as a Combine CP officer, and Alyx Vance, the daughter of one of Gordon's former colleagues, Dr. Eli Vance. After a failed attempt to teleport Gordon to Black Mesa East from Dr. Kleiner's makeshift laboratory, Gordon, re-equipped with the HEV suit and a crowbar, is forced to embark on foot through the city's old...

Characteristics

Where this game sits on each taste spectrum

SlowPACEFast

FamiliarORIGINALITYOriginal

DarkTONEWholesome

LightWEIGHTINESSHeavy

FantasyREALISMRealistic

SimpleINTRICACYIntricate

Non-LinearLINEARITYLinear

UnderstatedSTYLEStylised

IntimateSCALEEpic

RestrainedEMOTIONIntense

Genres and themes

ActionHorrorScience fictionAnimalsBusinessMonster/alien/supernaturalRobots/ai/spaceVehiclesAll consuming questComplex relationshipFighting evilFish out of water/culture clashHuman spirit/resilience/survivalRescue/escape/jeopardySocial commentarySolving the riddle/not as it seemsUnderdog triumphsUnlikely connections

Keywords

AliensZombiesDystopianAlternate historyRun and gunRebellionBuildingPortals

Where to play

Steam

Details

Developer: Valve
Publishers: Valve, NVIDIA Lightspeed Studios, Electronic Arts, Sierra Entertainment
Released: 16 November 2004
Series: Half-Life
Platforms: Xbox, PlayStation 3, Linux, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Xbox 360
Modes: Single player
Perspective: First person
Time to beat: 9h rushed, 14h normally, 20h complete
Age rating: PEGI 16
Taste scores: How we score
Source: IGDB

How game matches work

Games are scored on the same ten characteristics as films and matched with the same formula and your own match bands, from your film and TV taste. Game scores are estimates, made by fixed rules from IGDB genres, themes, keywords and descriptions.